A. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an apparatus for providing an alarm indicative of a condition of a wearable therapeutic device, such as, for example, a cochlear implant system, as well as to a method related to said apparatus.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices, such as cochlear implants, are being used to assist persons having a chronic aural disability or impairment which cannot be alleviated by external hearing aids. These devices typically include two sections: an external section and an internal section which is implanted into the patient. The external section typically includes a microphone for converting ambient sounds into electrical signals, signal processing means for converting the electrical signals into processed signals, and a signal transmitter for transmitting the processed signals to the internal section. In turn, the internal section includes receiver means for receiving signals from the transmitter, signal processor means for processing the received signals, and stimulating means for stimulating the inner ear of the person, such as the cochlea, in accordance with the received signals. The external section further includes various manual controls for the operation of the device, such as a volume control, battery checking, and so on.
It has been found that for best results, cochlear implant devices should be provided to a patient at the earliest possible age. A problem however occurs if the patient is a small, immature infant. More specifically, with most patients, if the device stops functioning, for example due to a low battery, or a malfunction, the patient can indicate this to a nurse, spouse or other attendant. However, an infant who is essentially deaf and is unable to communicate cannot indicate to anyone that there is a problem, especially since he may be too young to even recognize that there was a problem in the first place.